Just Roll With It

by sunnypack


29 - Somewhere

Chapter 29: Somewhere

It only took Discord a few seconds to register the expression on my face before he shot out of the couch and skittered across the floor to meet me. I paused slightly, checked myself and took a calming breath.

“End of the world?” he queried, his face etched in concern.

“Close,” I said, moving towards the stairs. He followed along behind me as I took steps two at a time.

“Is it that bad?” he asked from behind and I grunted in acknowledgement, anxious to get to my objective.

I burst into my room and headed towards my desk, pulling it open and shifting around some loose papers. I fumbled around with my fingers, getting a painful paper cut in the process before my fingers closed around the jagged edges of the three crystals Tempora had lent me.

I hadn’t made much progress with these things, mainly because I was afraid of what they would do if I abused their power. They seemed to act very similarly to the Tree we had created, resonating with spell matrices to enhance the power output. They clicked in my hand as I paused.

“What’s that? Are those the things that Queen Tempora gave you? The ones you said were dangerous?”

I scratched my head, feeling a little sheepish. Yeah, I didn’t spend much time with these though I had been given them over a week ago. Frankly, they scared me. Crystals that could crystallise if you used them too much? Sounds like something straight out of a horror story.

“Mmm,” was all I said as I bustled around my room. “Think we should—?” I stopped myself. I had half a mind to approach Star Swirl for advice, but it didn’t seem like a good idea. What if it was something that only affected ponies? A small chance, but I didn’t want to risk it. Besides, knowing Star Swirl, the unicorn would probably want to study it because it was dangerous. That was something I could ill afford to tempt him with. The crystals clinked in my hand. Magic was dangerous business.

Discord nudged me from behind. I turned around.

“Why don’t you ask somepony who knows more about it?” he queried. He was definitely on the same mind track.

“No,” I replied, “we can’t let Star Swirl do this. He’d just ignore all the hazards and play around with it until it explodes or something. We can’t give it to him.”

Discord levelled a stern gaze in my direction.

“Harmony,” he said. “How does that make that any different to what you’re doing now?”

That made me stop right in my tracks. My gaze shifted to the crystals, then back to Discord’s face. With a start, I recounted the tone I’d used. It had carried a firm trace of venom in it.

“For a second there, you looked… strange… like you weren’t yourself,” he murmured, his hot gaze steadily cooling.

I blinked, a frisson of fear shooting down my spine. Were these crystals already affecting me, or was it just me? I didn’t like the answer to either of those questions.

“I think we need help,” I whispered hoarsely. “We need to see Star Swirl.”

————

Crystals tucked into my pocket, I quickly teleported with Discord to Star Swirl’s tower. When I walked they clinked noisily, making it sound like I had a couple of rocks bouncing around in my pocket. Which I did. Rocks I mean. Crystals are a type of rock. I think. You never know with different universes.

As my eyes adjusted to the familiar blinding flash of teleportation, I noted that Star Swirl wasn’t anywhere to be found. Familiar scrolls and books and various equipment were haphazardly skewed and none of the candles were alight, casting the room in a depressing grey pall.

Discord waddled over to the scattered implements.

“This glass stuff has been used recently.” He touched a curious paw to the surface. “It’s still warm.”

“Star Swirl?” I called out. “Where are you? I need your help.”

Silence was the only response we received. Huh. Maybe he teleported out recently? In any case we’d probably have a better chance of catching him whenever he came back.

“Discord, do you mind staying here a while with me? If you need to do something, I’ll wait for Star Swirl,” I offered, moving towards a disused coach. Discord shook his head doggedly.

“No, I’ll stay,” he replied.

I flopped onto the couch.

“Oof!”

I leapt off the furniture like my pants were on fire. The voice sounded like it had come from the couch.

A talking couch?!

I glanced over at Discord. He seemed equally surprised that the couch had made a sound. Was… was there some small creature hiding under one of the folds or creases? Cautiously, I approached the couch. I prodded it with my foot. It stayed silent. I prodded it again. It still stayed silent. Was I imagining it? No, not unless Discord and I were having a shared delusion.

“Discord, did you—?”

“Yep.”

“And it—?”

“Yep.”

“So we should—?”

“Yep.”

I couldn’t help the evil grin already creeping across my face. Time to test whether or not there was something in the couch.

“This is your last chance, couch-creature. If you don’t want the combined weight of a human and a draconequus plummeting down on you, you better reveal yourself!” I declared. I waited a few seconds, then shrugged.

“Well,” I said. “Can’t say I haven’t tried.”

I backed up a bit and then nodded at Discord. We rushed to the couch at the same time. A few feet away, I heard a muffled yelp or scream and something darted out of the couch.

“Quick, Discord!” I yelled, skidding to a stop. I nearly crashed into the couch and tumbled over myself. I saw Discord had regained his footing and he snapped his paw, levitating the small… rodent in midair.

It was a grey rat with piercing yellow eyes. It flailed around uselessly for a while, floating in Discord’s levitation field.

“Oh you got me,” the rat… he grumbled. Oh my stars, I recognised that voice.

“Star Swirl?!”

The rat tumbled in the levitation field.

“Stop spinning the field, Discord. You’re going to make me feel sick. Urggghhh!” The rat held his paws in front of his mouth and heaved. It was disconcerting hearing Star Swirl’s voice coming from a tiny rat body.

Discord snapped his claws again and Star Swirl dropped. I almost snapped my fingers to catch him, but then I saw the table underneath the rat. The strangled exclamation from the unicorn mage was oddly amusing. Discord waggled his eyebrows at me as I chuckled.

“Why are you a rat?” Discord asked. He gestured to the couch. “And why are you hiding in the couch?”

The transmutated unicorn vented a frustrated sigh.

“Ehhh, no reason. Maybe I like hiding!” he muttered defensively.

“Uhuh,” I said, snapping my fingers. He started levitating again, tiny paws scrabbling for purchase. “And we’re supposed to believe that?”

“Stop it! Put me down this instant!”

“Not until you tell me what’s gotten you so prickly.”

The rat huffed and crossed its arms, sitting in the bubble with a scrunched snout.

“I don’t have to tell you,” he sniffed.

“Right,” I replied. I turned to my partner in crime. “Discord? Can you fetch a small cage? Star Swirl should have one lying around here somewhere. He’s hiding from somepony so we should put him in the cage in full sight, where they can obviously find him.”

As I talked, Star Swirl’s little rodent eyes grew progressively wider and wider and he squeaked something unintelligible.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?” I asked him innocently.

He scowled at me. “Don’t play dumb with me,” he snapped. “What is it that you want?”

“Gees, somepony’s a little grumpy. Here, we’ll let you down.” I snapped my fingers. Star Swirl’s irate expression died down a little.

“It’s just my luck. His royal highness needs my help on this day,” he muttered.

I just rolled my eyes. “What’s been keying you up all this time?”

The rat sighed again. “You want to know?”

I nodded along with Discord.

“You really want to know?”

“Yes…”

“You really, really want to know?”

“Oh for— yes! Just tell us already!” I shared a frustrated pout with Discord.

Star Swirl’s head sunk to his paws.

“There’s an old acquaintance of mine dropping in.”

“Who?” I asked.

“Why’s that so bad?” Discord added.

Star Swirl pursed his lips, his snout twitching.

“It’s kind of complicated, you see. I had a mentor. Her name was—“

“STAR SWIRL YOU ABSOLUTE IMBECILE!”

Star Swirl reared on his hind legs, his eyes going wide.

“Hide me!” he yelled and I instinctively grabbed him and flung him behind my back as I whipped around to trace the source of the bellow. The shout was still reverberating around the chamber and ringing in my ears. I noticed a white unicorn with mint green and leaf green colour tones streaked through her mane and tail standing in the centre of the room. Her chest was puffing from the exertion and she glared around the room as if she could pierce through the objects with her eyes with some sort of x-ray vision.

The mare spotted me and locked on. As we made eye contact I couldn’t help but take a step back. The unicorn was swathed in patchwork robes, but her eyes were ablaze with regal authority. She might as well be Tempora herself with the way she stalked forward.

“C-Can I help you?” I asked. I tried to go for a strong, indignant voice, but it came out as a broken squeak. My cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.

“Star. Swirl. Now,” she demanded, glaring at me.

“I-I don’t know who you are referring t-to,” I replied. “He’s not in at the moment.” It took me a moment to realise that I had spoken two contradictory statements. If I wasn’t already carrying Star Swirl I would have facepalmed there and then.

The mare glared at me as Discord edged to my side, his claws ready. I wasn’t looking for a fight, but I didn’t know what this mare wanted.

Her horn glowed and Discord growled. I lifted a free hand.

We stood facing each other as tense seconds ticked by.

Bared teeth.

Stiff stances.

Narrowed eyes.

“He’s behind you!” she yelled and I almost snapped my fingers in surprise. Discord blinked and then subtly straightened.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I can sense his aura. I know he’s hiding behind you! Don’t hide my recalcitrant student from me!”

“Student?!” I gaped. I heard Discord making a surprised noise.

“So that means you’re…”

“Clover. I’m Clover. Star Swirl’s former mentor. Now give that little rascal to me!”

Oh. Well I can’t say I expected that.